diff --git a/src/origin/git.rs b/src/origin/git.rs
index 2f1d054..6bdbc4d 100644
--- a/src/origin/git.rs
+++ b/src/origin/git.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,16 @@ use std::{collections, sync};
 #[derive(Clone)]
 struct DescrState {
     current_tree: gix_hash::ObjectId,
+    tree_cache: collections::HashMap<gix_hash::ObjectId, gix_object::Tree>,
+}
+
+impl DescrState {
+    fn new(current_tree: gix_hash::ObjectId) -> DescrState {
+        DescrState {
+            current_tree,
+            tree_cache: Default::default(),
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 #[derive(thiserror::Error, Clone, Debug, PartialEq)]
@@ -20,10 +30,6 @@ enum GetObjectError {
 pub struct Proxy {
     client: reqwest::Client,
     state: sync::RwLock<collections::HashMap<origin::Descr, DescrState>>,
-
-    // to prevent syncing the same origin more than once at a time, but still allow hitting that
-    // origin in during a sync.
-    sync_guard: sync::Mutex<collections::HashMap<origin::Descr, ()>>,
 }
 
 impl Proxy {
@@ -183,23 +189,50 @@ impl Proxy {
         tree_hash: &gix_hash::ObjectId,
         entry_name: &str,
     ) -> Result<gix_object::tree::Entry, origin::GetFileError> {
-        let tree_object_bytes = self
-            .get_object(descr, tree_hash, gix_object::Kind::Tree)
-            .await
-            .map_err(|e| match e {
-                GetObjectError::Unavailable => origin::GetFileError::Unavailable,
-                GetObjectError::Unexpected(_) => e.into_unexpected().into(),
-            })?
-            .read_to_end()
-            .await
-            .or(Err(origin::GetFileError::Unavailable))?;
+        let cache_entry = {
+            let states = self.state.read().unwrap();
+            states
+                .get(descr)
+                .expect("get_tree_entry called with unknown descr")
+                .tree_cache
+                .get(tree_hash)
+                .cloned()
+        };
+
+        let tree_object: gix_object::Tree = match cache_entry {
+            Some(tree_object) => tree_object,
+            None => {
+                let tree_object_bytes = self
+                    .get_object(descr, tree_hash, gix_object::Kind::Tree)
+                    .await
+                    .map_err(|e| match e {
+                        GetObjectError::Unavailable => origin::GetFileError::Unavailable,
+                        GetObjectError::Unexpected(_) => e.into_unexpected().into(),
+                    })?
+                    .read_to_end()
+                    .await
+                    .or(Err(origin::GetFileError::Unavailable))?;
+
+                let tree_object: gix_object::Tree =
+                    gix_object::TreeRef::from_bytes(tree_object_bytes.as_ref())
+                        .or(Err(origin::GetFileError::Unavailable))?
+                        .into();
+
+                self.state
+                    .write()
+                    .unwrap()
+                    .get_mut(descr)
+                    .expect("get_tree_entry called with unknown descr")
+                    .tree_cache
+                    .insert(*tree_hash, tree_object.clone());
 
-        let tree_object = gix_object::TreeRef::from_bytes(tree_object_bytes.as_ref())
-            .or(Err(origin::GetFileError::Unavailable))?;
+                tree_object
+            }
+        };
 
-        for entry in tree_object.entries {
+        for entry in tree_object.entries.iter() {
             if entry.filename == entry_name {
-                return Ok(entry.into());
+                return Ok(entry.clone());
             }
         }
 
@@ -211,35 +244,24 @@ impl origin::Store for Proxy {
     fn sync(&self, descr: &origin::Descr) -> util::BoxFuture<'_, Result<(), origin::SyncError>> {
         let descr = descr.clone();
         Box::pin(async move {
-            // attempt to lock this descr for syncing, doing so within a new scope so the mutex
-            // isn't actually being held for the whole method duration.
-            let is_already_syncing = {
-                self.sync_guard
-                    .lock()
-                    .unwrap()
-                    .insert(descr.clone(), ())
-                    .is_some()
-            };
+            let commit_hash = self.get_tip_commit_hash(&descr).await?;
+            let current_tree = self.get_commit_tree(&descr, &commit_hash).await?;
 
-            if is_already_syncing {
-                return Err(origin::SyncError::AlreadyInProgress);
-            }
-
-            // perform the rest of the work within this closure, so we can be sure that the guard
-            // lock is released no matter what.
-            let res = async {
-                let commit_hash = self.get_tip_commit_hash(&descr).await?;
-                let current_tree = self.get_commit_tree(&descr, &commit_hash).await?;
-                self.state
-                    .write()
-                    .unwrap()
-                    .insert(descr.clone(), DescrState { current_tree });
-                Ok(())
+            use std::collections::hash_map::Entry;
+            match self.state.write().unwrap().entry(descr) {
+                Entry::Vacant(entry) => {
+                    entry.insert(DescrState::new(current_tree));
+                }
+                Entry::Occupied(mut entry) => {
+                    // if this is not the first sync then we don't want to overwrite the entry
+                    // unless the tree has actually changed, in order to preserve the cache.
+                    if entry.get().current_tree != current_tree {
+                        entry.insert(DescrState::new(current_tree));
+                    }
+                }
             }
-            .await;
 
-            self.sync_guard.lock().unwrap().remove(&descr);
-            res
+            Ok(())
         })
     }